Gladwin County, Michigan

County Distress Index: Elevated · 59.6 | 25,853 people · 14th most distressed in Michigan
American Default Research

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Gladwin County, MI registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 59.6 — 861st nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where unemployment is elevated, wages are low relative to housing costs, and business formation lags. Within Michigan, it ranks 14th of 83 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Gladwin County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 71.4 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 71.4
Unemployment Rate 93
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 44
Business Formation Rate 78
Income & Poverty 69.9
Poverty Rate 56
Income vs. State Median 84
Child Poverty Rate 70
Community Vulnerability 66.6
Uninsured Rate 52
Disability Rate 81
Debt & Delinquency 55.3
Debt in Collections 49
Medical Debt 36
Student Loan Delinquency 90
Auto Loan Delinquency 46
Credit Card Delinquency 38
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 72
Housing Cost Burden 35.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 41
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 25
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 43
Homeownership Rate 1
Rent-to-Income Ratio 65

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Gladwin County compares to its 7 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Gladwin County
Gladwin County, MI 59.6 Elevated —
Clare County, MI 69.7 Serious +10.1
Ogemaw County, MI 63.7 Elevated +4.1
Roscommon County, MI 61.7 Elevated +2.1
Isabella County, MI 61.5 Elevated +1.8
Arenac County, MI 59.1 Elevated -0.6
Bay County, MI 48.2 Normal -11.4
Midland County, MI 36.4 Normal -23.2

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Gladwin County
Lincoln Parish, LA 59.6 Elevated -0.0
Hart County, GA 59.7 Elevated +0.0
Cannon County, TN 59.6 Elevated -0.0
McDonald County, MO 59.7 Elevated +0.0
Perquimans County, NC 59.6 Elevated -0.0

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Gladwin County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Gladwin County

Find an Attorney

State Bar of Michigan Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

State Bar of Michigan Lawyer Referral Service 1-800-968-0738

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Gladwin County residents at no cost.

Legal Aid & Defender Association of Detroit 313-967-5555
Michigan Legal Help / Wolverine Legal Aid
Neighborhood Legal Services of Michigan 248-548-3838
Michigan Advocacy Program 616-774-0672
Legal Services of South Central Michigan 734-665-6181
Lakeshore Legal Aid (888) 783-8190
Legal Aid of Western Michigan (616) 774-0672
Legal Services of Eastern Michigan (800) 322-4512
Legal Services of Northern Michigan, Inc. (906) 786-2303

Self-Help Resources

Michigan Legal Help — Foreclosure Self-help guides and interactive tools for Michigan foreclosure process and defenses
MSHDA Homeowner Resources Assistance programs, counselor referrals, and MIHAF information

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Gladwin County, Michigan?

    Gladwin County has a County Distress Index score of 59.6 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 861st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 14th in Michigan out of 83 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Gladwin County?

    The primary driver of distress in Gladwin County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 71.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Gladwin County compare to neighboring counties?

    Gladwin County (59.6) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Clare County, MI (69.7); Ogemaw County, MI (63.7); Roscommon County, MI (61.7).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • What is the population of Gladwin County?

    Gladwin County, Michigan has a population of approximately 25,853 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.